Lux Aeterna
by zypherblaze
Summary: She didn't belong in his world - that much was obvious. But as he watched her from across the room he was torn between unleashing his wrath upon the world for doing this to her, or tearing her apart and condemning her to hell himself.
1. don't act like an angel

**Hello. Ok so I very much like the Volturi, Alec being my favorite. But after having such difficulty trying to find a good Alec story, I decided to write one for myself.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly I own nothing; if I did the Volturi would get a hell of a lot more attention.**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 1: Don't act like an angel **

**-ooOoo-**

The breeze from the open window was the only thing that was keeping her calm and quiet right now. She loved the night air; she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It was cool and clean, something she desperately needed at this moment. The smoke coming from the center of the room covered that area like a cloud, its source none other than five young men gathered around a table playing poker. She turned an ear to their conversation just to make sure she didn't miss anything important.

"_Angela, I need another drink"_

"_Hey man, what are you doing!?"_

"_I'm starving is there anymore food left?"_

Satisfied that the exchange was useless she turned back to her own thoughts. This was supposed be a night with just her and Pietro. Then when he mentioned he had a poker game she thought she would at least be able to play-she had nearly given him a run for his money a few times- but no. It was a guy's only game, so why the hell bring her! Looking around the room, true she was not the only girl there but she doubted they were here for the same reasons as she. Pietro dropped the term girlfriend but she was not foolish enough to fall for that, she was probably the only one in a relationship with one of the boys. And if that was how he used the term, she really wanted to know just what kind of "girlfriend" she was to him. No, she knew better.

These girls were suspiciously dressed too provocatively for the cool weather and atmosphere they were in. Two of the girls had messy brunette hair, like it had not been combed today. Another girl was a tall redhead, but not a natural red, more like the type of fiery red that draws a second look and is found in a bottle on the shelf. The last girl was a pale blonde with lifeless hair; like she herself was just too exhausted from something and her hair was paying the price. All the girls were leaning against a wall standing a fair distance from the players watching the game with mild interest in their otherwise dull eyes. Despite their casual stance, each girl was slightly tense and alert. It was if they were expecting something, a reaction or maybe a command.

Sighing, her surrounding matched the situation and company. They were in an old wooden house in the lower part of the city that looked like it did not see many visitors. The room they were currently occupying was fortunately mildly cleaned. However the floors creaked every step you took and it was not uncommon to run across a loose floorboard. Everywhere you leaned or sat on had to be double checked for splinters; one of the girls already learned that the hard way.

Fortunately for her she was mostly protected in her jeans and long sleeved shirt, but she was still careful on the window sill she was currently sitting on. One of the girls, the blonde one was now crouched on the floor, her high heels adjusting ever so slightly to maintain her balance and her mini skirt rising to above her mid thigh. In her hand was a needle that she was currently injecting into her arm, the blonde did not even flinch, but she did. She briefly closed her eyes and looked back out the window. She hoped she did not get offered whatever the girl was taking, she did not want the attention at this moment. An extra strong breeze blew past and she rubbed her arms a little. She could not wait for this game to be over.

She wondered how she ended up in a situation like this and mentally snorted at her stupidity. But of course, how could she forget.

_Her black hair was tied back with a clip and her vivid green eyes narrowed in concentration. She tried to follow what Max was saying about changing the Oil. She didn't really know very much about cars but she really wanted to. That was just the kind of person she was, forever curious and always wanting to try a little bit of everything. She may have lied to the owner of the shop a little about her knowledge of cars and given the chance to look around Max had clearly noticed. He took pity on her and decided to take her under his wing as well as keep her secret, for now he decided that she could be in charge of the basics like changing the Oil; and so that is where they were starting off. _

_A loud noise at the front of the shop broke her concentration and she looked up to see a red sports car pulling up. Three young men got out of the car but the one that caught her eye was the driver. He was tall and handsome; but more like the devilishly handsome type with his dark hair and dark eyes and even darker clothing. With that arrogant little smirk of his and the way he walked around strong and confidant like he owned the place he looked very much like the good looking villain in a movie you secretly love. The way the other two stood by him and how they moved according to his looks or words you could easily tell he was their leader of some sort. When his eyes fell on her he gave her a once over before meeting her eyes again, he tilted his head and the smirk he had grew even wider, his eyes now held a spark of mischief or arrogance. He started to walk towards her, his expression did not change but his eyes continued to rake over her like she was a car he was intending to buy. No one had ever looked at her like that; she hoped she was not blushing. _

Max had warned her not to get involved with the customers; they were not exactly located in the best part of town. She didn't think it mattered at the time, after all she did not live around there, and that was the important thing right? She was naïve and ignored his warnings out of infatuation. Now several months later, look where she was. She must have zoned out longer than she meant to because the next thing she realized, her name was being called.

"Cricket…" The smooth voice that whispered in her ear was teasing, and she jerked slightly, startled by the close proximity.

He chuckled and kissed her temple. "Come on, time to go."

She looked around the room and true to his word the game was indeed over and in the process of being picked up. The other girls around each went to a boy, and the lust was so thick she could almost feel from where she stood. Fortunately she did not have to remain here for the rest of the evening.

As they were leaving Pietro grabbed her hand when they reached the street and asked "So, what now?"

"Well, I don't know about you but I'm starving."

He sniggered and gave a mock bow "Your wish is my command my _principessa_"

Cricket smiled a little but still rolled her eyes at his behavior. First of all, while slightly cute it was a little cheesy. And second of all, although he tried not to show it too much she could tell he much rather have **her** waiting on **him** instead.

They walked in silence for awhile but that quickly got old for her. Cricket herself hadn't really had any conversation tonight, and talking to anyone of his so called friends, well let's just say she would be surprised if they could chew gum and walk at the same time.

"So, I was thinking…there's this film in the theatre on Friday, about Van Gogh and his works, and I was wondering if –"

"You know that's not really my thing _bella_," He wrapped his arm around her waist and drew her closer to him. "Maybe next time."

She tried to hide her disappointment, after all Cricket was the artist here, but still she was hoping that this time he would decide to join her. Their steps echoed in the near empty street and the lights above cast shadows behind them.

"So, what else is new with you?"

He turned his attention to her and she could see that he was perfectly at ease even in the dodgy area they were in. Cricket didn't really mind either; she did not always grow up in the best neighborhoods herself. Taking the opportunity she decided to give him a second chance.

"Well, I think I'm pretty close to a lead about my parents." She turned to look at his reaction and was even more disappointed than before to notice confusion on his face.

"What?"

"You know, my parents" Cricket did her best to keep the bitterness out of her voice. "I mean true they died in America but they were born and raised here, in Italy."

She saw some slight realization on his features but it was not enough and already too late for that.

"Ah, that's right. You wanted to learn more about them."

"Yes." Her answer was short and cold, she was done talking for the night.

As they were approaching the more crowded part of town where the stores, the restaurants, and the vendors were mostly located Cricket was not the only one to notice a young guy leaning against the wall of a small store checking her out. Naturally she wanted to ignore him, she was not interested nor would she be that rude to Pietro, idiot or no idiot, she was with someone. She thought they would just keep on walking but when she felt Pietro's hand on her upper arm tighten almost painfully, she knew this was a little more serious. Because of the pressure of his arm Cricket was practically wrapped around him. However his attention was not on her, it was on the other who continued stupidly to look at her. She thanked every deity that she could think of that they were still walking, and judging by his tense muscles and harsh glare she had a pretty good idea what would happen if they stopped.

The dark haired guy leaning against the wall finally picked up on the tension and stood a little straighter. Noticing this she acted quickly and wrapped her arms around Pietro in the hope to distract him at least a little until they turned the corner and were safely inside the restaurant, because god knows once he starts something even she can't stop him.

It seems that luck was on her side after all because finally they turned the corner and strolled down the street, and finally he noticed her presence again and just how close she was to him. He looked down to see Cricket glaring at him for all she was worth.

"What?" he asked innocently with a smile on his face and that just made her even more infuriated.

She pushed away from him and said "Don't. You know what." She crossed her arms and waited for how he would answer this one.

"Don't be like that _bella_." He put her hand on her waist and had the nerve to kiss her cheek. "You know I don't like sharing."

She did not know whether to be more disgusted or angry. Wait, yes she did. She was angry! Beyond angry! She chose to hold back a retort-although it was incredibly difficult- and instead pondered on her future with this idiotic Neanderthal.

**-ooOoo-**

_3 months later_

Something needed to be done, this was unacceptable.

For months now - ever since that confrontation with those aggravating Cullen's - rage has been boiling within him; stirring, churning, whispering words of revenge that made his cold dead heart sing. How dare they humiliate him! He was above all! But a true master of deception could never show his genuine emotions for the world to see.

Many might compare him to the snake. Cold blooded, venomous, lethal, yes the similarities are impressive but you see…he has always admired the butterfly. The butterfly's natural deceptive nature is easily overlooked for its beauty, its grace, and its gentle touch. Does anyone pay attention to the cleverness of the butterfly when it confuses and thwarts those who wish to make him prey? No. For all they focus on are the mistakenly weak paper thin wings, much like his own mistakenly weak paper skin. All underestimate it for prey, when it is in fact the predator. With the butterfly, you see what you want to see.

And now, with his…family, gathered around the throne room, they needed to see their leader as collected as ever.

"My dear friends, family" he opened his arms as if welcoming each and every one of them into the Volturi for the first time. "Thank you all for coming today."

"What is this about Aro?" Marcus was always the first one to get straight to the point.

He did not tell either of his brothers why he had gathered every member of the Volturi here today, including their wives, better to tell them all together.

"Several months ago, we had an unfortunate meeting with our kind in which we did not see eye to eye with many of them. That is alright, disagreements are bound to happen. However…"

Aro walked down the steps in front of his throne slowly. The heels of his shoes hit the marble and echoed all around the large room, despite his gentle steps. The room was so quiet and the occupants ears so alert at their master's words that if anyone of them were breathing the sound would echo as well.

Aro took a few more steps towards the center of the room and looked around carefully.

"What is not alright is for the Volturi to look weak. None of you want that am I correct?" Aro allowed the smile on his angelic face to drop for an instant, one of the brief moments when he could let go of the façade.

A chorus of "yes master" was heard and the smile was back on his face again, as pleasing as ever.

"Good."

"Now, fortunately this incident brought my attention to the fact that we need to, expand our family." His arms opened a little again with his palms facing upward, gesturing to all of them.

"What do you mean Aro?"

Aro turned to the one that spoke "Ah, Caius I am glad that you asked. You see" He once again turned to gaze at the room's occupants. "For the past few months I have been keeping an eye on a rather…interesting girl."

"Human?"

"Yes Marcus, human. But you see" Aro clapped his hands together and had an excitement in his eyes that you only see in a child. "I believe that she possess unique abilities for her kind that we have not seen in these parts for some time."

"So you wish to turn her" It was not a question, from none other than Caius, but rather a statement. No one but he and Marcus would dare to interrupt Aro that directly and during a meeting.

"Yes, while I have no doubt that she will be gifted upon transformation, there is something else I have her in mind for." Aro's thoughts drifted away and along with it his gaze.

No one interrupted him this time, to curious and confused to do so. "As you all recall, the gathering a few months ago centered on the Cullen hybrid."

This particular train of thought has also run through his mind as of late. Once again the Cullen family had something that he did not, his inner tyrant roared with rage once again and demanded that he take whatever he coveted. A hybrid vampire as rare as they were had the potential to provide knowledge of their world, and knowledge is power.

"In order to avoid being influenced by ignorance, I propose we add one to our ranks." Aro waited for a moment to let the thought sink in and it proved fruitful when Marcus spoke.

"You wish to create a half breed? What ever for Aro?"

Aro smiled as if Marcus did agree with him. "Knowledge my brother, knowledge of our kind; and we can all imagine how valuable that is."

No other commented, which meant they all agreed. Of course they did.

"And you wish the human girl you have taken an interest in to participate in the creation of the crossbreed." Again it was not a question; they knew Aro too well for that.

"Yes I do. And speaking of participating…" Aro turned towards the high ranked guards with his hands together and a large smile on his features that was meant to be encouraging. "I wish for Alec to be involved as well. Imagine your talents with hers…"

Aro drifted off, his thoughts on the future. He was quite excited about this; Bella Swan was also a gifted human-it was time to fight fire with fire. So consumed he was in his own thoughts that he nearly missed Alec's reply.

"As you wish master."

Alec was reasonably surprised by these turn of events but obviously did not show it. However he had been asked to do something and he would do it. Alec was not one to fail; although he had a feeling this would be his most difficult task yet.

"And where do we find this mysterious girl Aro?" Marcus asked, regardless of today's dealings his voice never change from its uninterested tone.

Aro looked like he could not be any happier. "In Florence, her name is Cricket Gagliardi. "

"And I believe it is time she met us all."

**-ooOoo-**

_**Italian Translations:**_

**Principessa – Princess **

**Bella – Beautiful **

**Please, please, please, Review!**


	2. Don't fear the reaper

**Chapter 2: Don't fear the reaper**

_A heartbeat was the only constant sound that was heard. _

_It was slow and deafening, but despite how disoriented she was she recognized it as her own. Her lungs were working efficiently so she could not blame the sight that was before her on the lack of oxygen. _

_She felt like her eyes were submerged underwater, everything was difficult to look at. Nothing stayed still, nothing came into focus, and she wanted to cry at how confused she was. Apparently no one was taking pity on her today as the world continued to spin around, she in the center of it all trying to figure out a way free of this nightmare. Suddenly there was murmuring; and the visions that were rapidly moving all around her started to slow down and solidify into humanoid beings, as if they too wanted to hear what the voices were saying. The humanoid beings were tall black figures, or maybe tall figures in black, she didn't know. _

_But then a loud scream interrupted her thoughts; a bloodcurdling scream that rips into your soul and has you clawing your ears and closing your eyes in desperation. The screaming she noticed came from another humanoid figure that was different from the rest. This one was not cloaked in black, it looked almost human and it was surrounded by the others. As the screaming got louder everything became clearer, like some sort of sick and twisted system. She noticed now that they were in a room, but this was not an ordinary room, it felt different. The poor creature in pain was definitely human and it was lying down in the center of both the room and its occupants. She still could not make out the details of the person; it was as if someone or something was trying to keep her from finding out their identity. But despite all that she still felt as if she knew these people, especially the one screaming. She could not tell if the others were hurting the person or not, but the pain and suffering were so great that she herself could barely remember a time when the misery was not present. In fact it was starting to get to her. She started to feel pain and she had no idea where it was coming from. She crumbled to the floor and held her body as she shut her eyes in pain. Her face was wet and she hoped it was from tears and not blood. The screaming that had been going on for so long now had an echo to it. If she were able to formulate any thoughts she might have wondered if she was losing her hearing because of the piercing sound or was she now joining in on the chorus. The latter seemed more likely. Writhing in agony she noticed somewhere in the back of her mind that the floor was made out of stone. She sobbed and clawed at anything and everything until the world went black._

_She squirmed and writhed in the sheets as if they were strangling her. Her first instinct was to scream, and scream she did. She yelled and shrieked bloody murder until someone burst through her door and tried to free the young girl that was confined by both the sheets and her nightmare. Her savior, a middle aged woman grabbed the little girl and shook her by her shoulders; desperately calling out to the frightened child._

_Finally the words seemed to reach her and the barriers of her nightmare shattered. The first word to fully register in her clouded mind was the most familiar one. 'Cricket' – her name. She blinked her eyes a few times and focused her attention on the concerned looking woman sitting on the bed beside her. Relief flooded the elder's woman's face when she saw Cricket completely awake. _

_She stroked the young girls ebony hair in a comforting manner and with her hand also caressed her cheek, moist from either tears or sweat – probably a combination of both. The room was dark except for the night light in the corner, but even in the low light she could see the warm smile on Donatella's face as Cricket tried to calm her wild heart._

"_What happened? Did you have a bad dream?" Donatella whispered._

_She did not stop stroking her hair but the hand that was on her cheek moved to take her smaller one in her own. Cricket nodded than began to tell her what it was about. All the while the elder had a troubled expression on her features. Cricket knew she should respect and listen carefully to what Donatella had to say. For starters she was middle aged meaning she had plenty of life experience. And another reason, Donatella was different. She would never call herself a physic or a medium really; according to her she could just interpret things better than most people. Cricket hoped that the same could be said about her dream despite the uneasy feeling she was getting from her guardian's worried gaze. _

_She averted her eyes when Cricket finished her story and took a deep breath. Finally the woman looked back at the child._

"_Cara," she said it softly and the look on her face showed that she did not want to go through with this. "You believe in _Destino_ right? Destiny." _

_At this the young girl nodded and Donatella continued. "And that it was Destiny that brought you to us, that you are like me, you are special." _

_At this Cricket looked confused, she shook her head no, she did not understand. Donatella gave a patient sigh and wondered how she should explain. _

"_When I was very young like you, I used to get dreams and, feelings about people or things around me, and many times I was right. Now I am not saying that your dream will come true" Donatella added quickly with her hands up in defense at the scared look Cricket was giving her. She could not really blame the child for being afraid; she would have been as well. _

"_I am merely saying that I have been noticing things about you Cricket and you have a gift that you should not ignore." Then Donatella's expression turned dark again._

"_That dream you had, where you were watching someone in pain and it felt like you knew them, and then you yourself were in pain; you must understand that suffering is a part of life." _

_She reached over and started stroking the young girls black hair again, an encouraging smile on her lips. She needed to help prepare the little girl for the difficult life that surely lay ahead of her, she sensed that much with what most people would call intuition. If the child before her was having these kinds of dreams now, imagine the pain and suffering the little angel in front of her will go through when she gets older. It broke her heart, but she did not let her warm smile falter and tried to prepare her now as best as she could. _

"_But no matter how bad it gets you always have the strength to make it through. Now try and get some sleep _mio amore_." _

_Cricket wanted to sleep but then whispered shakily "But Donatella, I felt like I was dying." _

_The woman's hand stopped then slowly moved to her lap to hold her hand, the smile that was previously there gone; and her eyes held such sadness. "Then when your time comes – as everyone's does – it comes. Just remember…"_

"_Don't fear the reaper."_

To say she woke up with an uneasy feeling would be the understatement of the year, especially since Donatella's words were still swirling in her mind when she did. Still, she was happy to escape the darkness.

It was not the first time she's had that particular dream. Sometimes it's just the nightmare in all its agonizing glory and others it's the entire memory, like now. A deep pang of grief hits her as she remembers her once foster parents Donatella and Giuseppe and how she was taken away from them because social services thought that they were getting too elderly to take care of her. The couple was very good to her and reminded Cricket of her own Italian parents that had passed away just a few short years prior.

She had them to thank for getting her to speak Italian again and is the reason why she is fluent today despite growing up in the United States. She still has the memory of the day she left them but never allows herself to remember; even her previous memory and how terrifying it is, is less painful than that one. She misses them frequently and hopes the feeling is mutual.

Turning her head to glance at the digital clock she curses. It's a quarter to six; she's not supposed to get up for another forty minutes. However knowing she won't get any more sleep she sits up.

Cricket runs the palm of her hands over her eyes so her vision is a little less blurry and throws the covers off her. She swings her legs over the bed until she is sitting at the edge with her feet on the cold hardwood floor. Good thing she wears socks to bed, especially in the winter.

She gets up and makes her way to the bathroom with no hurry at all. _'uggh I __hate__ mornings.' _ Reaching her destination she ungracefully hurls herself in before closing the door. She looks in the mirror and is not surprised. Her hair is a mess – a product of sleeping with it lose – and her eyes are trying to adjust to the light instead of the blissful darkness it was in just moments before. She grabs the brush and gets to work, combing her hair, washing her face, all in an effort to join humanity once again. Ten minutes later its mission accomplished.

She notices soon enough that she forgot to pick out her clothes last night so she just goes for something simple and quick; boot cut jeans, black &white converses, and a black long sleeve button up shirt that she leaves the top two buttons open. She puts her hair into a semi high ponytail with two wisps of hair framing her face and applies a bit of lip loss and eye liner and mascara to enhance her favorite feature, her green eyes. She rarely puts on more makeup than that.

Grabbing, her books, backpack, and keys she heads into the kitchen and decides to just have some cereal, mostly out of laziness due to the time of day. She leaves her apartment, the same apartment she got after she had become emancipated last year at 15, a year earlier than most. Finally a legal adult she could access the money her parents left upon their death. With that money she was able to move out and even get a car, a yellow Camero considering that was always one of her favorites. Walking down the stairs she greeted one of her neighbors Ms. Giordano from 401, a short, plump woman with brown hair and rosy cheeks. She often cooked for others and more than once Cricket was a target to that kindness.

**-O-**

Upon reaching her school she fortunately found a parking space near her first class. Her school was an Instituto d' Arte and she loved it. Imagine being in Florence Italy! And studying what she loved most art and history. She would have loved to go to a Liceo Artistico school, but being on her own now she needed a vocational school. Either way she felt fortunate to be here, this is the kind of thing she would have only been able to dream about were she still living in the United States.

She walked through the doors of the main building until she reached one of the Hallways, passing the teacher's lounge area and office as she did so. She bumped into several students just loitering around while others were off to meet friends most likely, and some were adding new pieces to the colorful and creative displays.

This was a school for the arts and it seemed that they were always doing some kind of mural and no empty wall was safe for long. In the one she was currently in, it contained a beautiful countryside scene with meadows and wild flowers and all the works. This part of the building had few windows so the school decided to make up for that. The opposite wall contained news and notices of events or dates that were coming up, the most popular one would be that formal winter dance that was approaching. Cricket did not pay too much attention to it especially since she broke up with Pietro.

"Cricket?" She nearly groaned out loud, she knew that voice. Maybe if she kept walking she could pretend to remain ignorant.

But no such luck. Through her peripheral vision she could vaguely see a tiny body trying to make her way past the crowds and looked to be struggling as the vast majority just ignored her. Cricket could hear her name being called again and again, slightly muffled from the various bodies around her pursuer. Meanwhile she contemplated on what would happen if morning people moved to a separate society so they could spread their early bird cheer on each other instead on the rest of the civilized and rightfully bitter community. She felt horror sink in as her name started to sound closer and squeezed the strap of her backpack in preparation as finally the petite body reached her.

Sophia Capaldi was her name and just about everything was her game. She established the welcoming committee, is student body treasurer, leader of the community service group, co-founder of the friends for animals club, and now is the head of the dance committee as well. Everyone expected her to be a shoe in for class valedictorian, she herself included. Sophia was a nice girl really, just a bit overbearing sometimes and sadly she was not the only one that thought so.

"I-I finally caught up to you." The young blond was slightly out of breath and if she noticed the other girl playing deaf, she didn't show it.

"Oh, yeah." Cricket just nodded and tried to smile without it looking too forced. Her companion here was always trying to collect people for various events or causes and she wondered what sort of task was going to be asked of her this time. Normally Cricket would politely avoid her or skillfully swerve out of her way but she it was way too early and she had not had any caffeine yet which meant that she was a little…cranky.

"I've been meaning to ask you, we need help with decorations for the dance and since you're one of the best artists in school who better to ask right?" She finished with a bright smile that just said 'hello world let me make your day brighter' and Cricket thought how it could be natural considering the time.

When she thought about the request it didn't seem that bad really, and this could be her ticket out of the dance; she could say she was too tired to attend or just did not feel like spending anymore time around the decorations or something.

"Oh, thank you Sophia. I'll um, see if I have time with work and everything and let you know."

The perky blonde smiled wider (which surprised Cricket as she did not think it was possible) and said "That's great Cricket I hope to hear from you soon?"

With that the two parted ways before she passed by the cafeteria to pick up some much needed coffee and reluctantly headed to the direction of her class.

When she reached her locker and switched her books for the ones she would need now, she saw two familiar faces walking towards her. She smiled and closed her locker before leaning on it.

"Good morning" greeted Cricket.

Lucca and Anita were Cricket's only friends here at school but she didn't mind, she liked them very much. They both repeated her greeting and Lucca said playfully

"You're here kind of early aren't you?"

He leaned on the locker next to Cricket's and gave her a big smirk, his brown eyes holding unspoken laughter. Cricket irritatingly sighed and rolled her eyes. She slouched even more against the locker and snapped

"Yes I am, I woke up early now don't remind me."Lucca chuckled at her obvious bitterness.

Just then a young man that stood out from the rest walked past them. He ran a hand through his short dirty blonde hair as his brown eyes were bright with excitement from a conversation with another boy from his team. He was tall and muscular, and had a naturally athletic look to him – a sign of things to come; he is quite talented in sports.

Giovanni attracted more than one girl's eye down the hallway, Cricket was not one of them but her friend Anita was. Anita was a desperately shy girl with long light brown hair, blue eyes, a soft olive complexion, and glasses. She was pretty, but so timid and self conscious that not many really noticed her. Anita did not take her eyes off Giovanni until he was out of sight.

Cricket glanced at Lucca and saw that his previous good mood had disappeared and he was now staring at the floor. Cricket felt bad for her friends, she wished she could help them but they were both so stubborn. Suddenly the bell rang and that startled everyone. Anita looked like she just woke up from a daze and looked around for a moment. She turned to her two friends and said quickly

"I have to go; my class is all the way in the next building."

Without waiting for a response she turned left and walked through the doors at the end of the hallway. Cricket glanced at Lucca and saw that his eyes had followed her sadly and were still trained on the spot he had last seen her in as if he had the ability to look through walls and see her now.

"You should tell her you know" Cricket whispered.

He chuckled bitterly and was back to staring at his shoes. "As if I could ever compete with Giovanni Abbatelli, star football (soccer) player."

Cricket looked at him sadly; she hated to see him this way. "I think you can." She said softly. "In fact between the two of you my money is on you."

She gave him a small smile and was relieved when he finally looked at her and gave her his own weak grin.

"Thanks" And he sincerely meant it. "You're not just saying that because you're my friend right?" He raised an eyebrow at the question and gave her a smirk. Cricket snorted and rolled her eyes. She gave him the same kind of smirk before replying

"No, I'm not."

He made a disbelieving noise but the smirk did not disappear. Cricket shook her head a little at him, still smiling. "Come on, we better get to class."

"Yeah" Lucca agreed. "See you later." Lucca waved and walked off. Cricket mimicked before walking off in the opposite direction.

Nothing really exciting happened that day it was just her regular school schedule. In fact the most excitement she had was in French class.

Ms. Bouvier was walking in between the aisles slowly and purposefully, black heels clicking every step she took. Her red blouse was tucked in her long black pencil skirt and her long blonde hair hung around her in waves. With her light green eyes carefully looking around and at each student it was no wonder she was what the boys in this school dream about, especially since all of their other teachers are old enough to be their parents and their science teachers just look like science fiction.

Two girls in the back of the class were passing notes, taking advantage of their professor's blind spots, while several other girls stared enviously. Cricket was not really surprised, they did that on an almost daily basis and if she were being honest she could not really blame them either; she would kill to have their teacher's long legs.

Ms. Bouvier instructed them chapter four in their textbooks and everything went quiet. Cricket tried to concentrate and do the assignment but her thoughts were elsewhere. She could not get her mind off of her dream last night. Normally it's just something that stays in the back of her mind and resurfaces every once in awhile, like how most people get colds every now and then. But sometimes it gets bad; like the first week after she moved to Italy. The same dream at least four or five times that week. And then when she moved to Florence it was even worse. The dreams lasted longer; she was tempted to see a psychologist. Fortunately they stopped and last night was the first and hopefully last time she experienced it, at least for a while.

Every time it occurs it leaves her with a feeling of dread that is difficult to escape. She can't shake off the feeling that she should not ignore it but what more can she do; she already drew in her sketch book what she remembers. Apparently she was very deep in thought because before she knew it she heard a murmuring sound that she didn't really pay too much attention to. When she hears her last name being called twice she looks up to see a stern faced Ms. Bouvier and realizes that the murmuring sound was actually the class, they were doing repetitions.

"Ms. Gagliardi" Her French accent and the aggravation in her voice make the words she is speaking sound soft but firm.

"Are you paying attention?" Cricket's focus was coming back, albeit slowly and she stumbles out a "umm… _wi_"

It sounds more like a question than an answer and she knows that, but at least is grateful that the boys attention is not on her but rather their teacher so it's just the females in the room that she has to worry about being humiliated in front of. Ms. Bouvier is not convinced and Cricket can't say she blames her.

"Very well Ms. Gagliardi than please answer this question in a complete sentence. _" Qu' est-ce que tu aimes faire?"_

Cricket's mind translated that as "What do you like to do?" and answered _"J' aime peindre et_ _lire."_ she hoped that it came out to be "I like to paint and read."

Ms. Bouvier gives a curt nod and proceeds down the aisle. Cricket released a breath that she did not realize she had been holding in and assumed that she got it right. She hoped she would not get called on again in her other classes, she knew she was going to be distracted today.

**-ooOoo-**

From the shadows of the late afternoon sun two cloaked figures stand by waiting. They are hunters by nature and every instinct of theirs is sharp and focused.

One of them sniffs the air, it won't be long now and he knows it. As the sun slowly begins to recede their surroundings are bathed more and more in deliciously dark shadows, **their **time is approaching now.

They take a few steps closer and prepare to take charge of their domain – the night. As the bodies begin to pour out of the old large building their senses go into overdrive. Their hearing picks up any comment every voice until it finds hers.

Their sense of smell captures dozens and dozens of sweet, exotic, and rich scents that have their mouth watering. But no, now is not the time for that, they have a job to do. Their eyes scan them all quickly and efficiently, casting them off as quickly as they were considered. Their razor sharp nails dig into the brick wall closest to them as they get frustrated. One simultaneous thought between them 'where is she?'

The crowd begins to dwindle and only a few females remain, neither girl stands out from the rest. A dark satisfactory smile that borders on predatory passes through both of them. She is the one.

She is the one they have been waiting for.

**-ooOoo-**

Monday is one of the Bakery's busiest days. In the morning everyone is so bothered by the start of the week that they need something sweet or warm to get them through the day; hence why she just arrived at Lucia's bakery.

Walking through the door Cricket hears the familiar bell that signaled a customer. Her sense of smell was soon overwhelmed by the wonderful scent of fresh baked bread and so many types of sugars and frostings blended together to make irresistible treats, she loved this place.

The bakery only had a few wooden seats and tables for those who were waiting for their orders. Cricket only saw one dark haired man with one ankle over his other knee and an open newspaper lying on top. With one hand he held the paper and with the other he reached for his steaming espresso and carefully brought it to his lips. His eyes never left the paper while his small round glasses rested low on his nose.

Over by the counter where the sweets were openly presented was a woman not even forty fussing over the cash register. Cricket smiled at the sight and walked over to owner, it was not uncommon for the woman to have trouble with the device.

"_Buonasera_ Lucia" Cricket greeted a little teasingly, she knew her boss was frustrated.

Lucia turned to her left, surprised that there was even someone next to her. The woman's black hair was in a bun, wisps of it everywhere due to her constantly running her fingers through it. Her white T-shirt that held the bakery's name was surprisingly clean but the apron she wore around her waist that lay over her black slacks was covered in flour. Her dark brown eyes held a bit of surprise that quickly vanished as well as anger but most of all exhaustion. There was some flour along her arms that contrasted heavily with her olive skin and stuck to it; leaving Cricket to believe that her slightly sweaty flesh was due to her recent position by the ovens. Lucia breathes out a sigh of relief when she notices who it is.

"Oh good Cricket you're here." Cricket chuckles and drops her bag by the counter while Lucia furrows her brow over some calculation over the register.

"Let me guess, it was busy today." At that Lucia looked up with a fire in her eyes, seemingly not caring about Cricket's smug smile.

"Oh you would not believe it, one of the worst! I just can't wait until you graduate so you can come and work for me full time."

"Well that's good for business isn't" Cricket cocked an eyebrow. She didn't mention that she had a couple of other offers to work full time as well, but whatever happened she would still be a frequent customer here.

"Yes I suppose it is." Lucia waved her off, too tired to agree with that logic. "A little too good actually" she muttered.

"That bad?" Cricket made a face and asked warily.

Lucia only answered with an "Mmm" too busy counting change.

"So that means I have a lot of work to do." Cricket said sourly, she already knew the answer to that but now it was Lucia's turn to look smug.

"Clever as always little Cricket" Replied her boss with a grin.

"You can start with the cookies." Lucia gestured with her head towards the back. Cricket gave a sigh; and just like that she went to work.

After the trays and trays of cookies were put into the oven then put back on the rack to cool off, the batter needed to be mixed. And after the batter was mixed with the proper ingredients, inventory needed to be done. After everything was accounted for the counter needed to be cleaned before finally she could move on to her final task for the evening, sweeping.

Cricket was beyond tired and could not wait to get home and finish the few assignments she did have before resting. It occurred to her now just how hungry she was and immediately she went over the food she had at her apartment. She thought about soup. Soup sounded simple and perfect right now. _'Yes soup is good.'_

Suddenly it felt like a chill crawled up her spine and Goosebumps began to sprout across her skin. She looked over her shoulder with the broom in hand. For a moment she thought she saw a shadow move outside but it was too dark to see and could have very well been her eyes playing tricks on her. She tried to focus her eyes again but now could not see anything besides her reflection in the glass window.

This has been happening often recently, about the past month or so, in which she looks over her shoulder expecting to find someone staring at her or maybe even the boogeyman. However this time she can't ignore it as easily as the others, but not being able to see anything she has no choice but to continue sweeping.

When the floor is done Cricket bids goodnight to Lucia who conveniently lives right upstairs. She grabs her stuff and heads out the door. As soon as she does she is greeted by the cool and refreshing night air that she loves so much. Cricket takes a deep breath and smiles at the beautiful full moon that lights up the sky before walking to her car around the corner and behind the bakery.

She adjusts her bag on her shoulder which captures her attention for just a moment and when she looks up she nearly collides with two dark cloaked strangers. She jumps back in surprise "Oh!" and places a hand over her beating heart, these two men obviously startled her but neither one seems fazed at all.

Cricket quickly becomes wary and confused but it turns to fear when they shared an emotionless glance. Cricket was not one to panic, panic was always the enemy and she knew how to take care of herself. However when she noticed their eyes something which she did not pay attention to before due to their intimidating all black cloaks, her fear was brought to a new level.

Their eyes were sinister as the devil's own. And although Cricket was not a religious person there really was no way to describe those demonic burgundy eyes. True they could have been contacts, especially these days with all the supernatural fads but something told her that was not it. Perhaps it was the same something that was screaming at her to run.

And so despite the fact that she knew how to handle herself Cricket listened to that voice and she ran, she ran as fast as she could away from the strangers. Okay she was not an Olympic athlete but she was not slow either! There was no way they could have caught up to her that quickly! But they did.

One of them blocked her path when she reached the corner, confused she turned around only to discover that the other one was just steps behind her. Even though they made no show to stop her – neither one them spread their arms to prevent her escape – Cricket knew she was trapped. She was panting not out of her short run but because she was downright panicking.

For the first time since their encounter one of them spoke, the one in front of her. "Please be calm," His palms were up and his voice while monotonous was also smooth.

"We mean you no harm." The one behind her finished the other's sentenced and mimicked his tone perfectly.

There was nothing at all threatening about their voice and if Cricket was honest she would say it was kind of nice. She might have even actually listened to them if her heart wasn't beating so wildly and reminding her of the danger she was in.

Cricket with as much force as she could muster said "leave me alone!"

She swung her backpack at the one in front her and was for once grateful at the amount of books in there. Unfortunately that act did next to nothing and Cricket was too preoccupied to notice.

Apparently their patience ran out because the cloaked man that was behind her physically grabbed Cricket. She struggled and thrashed as much as she could yelling at him to release her and such but he just held her effortlessly. The one that was originally in front of her was shorter than the one holding her, but still taller than Cricket since the one behind her was about six feet tall.

The shorter one was now right in front of Cricket with a smirk on his face and she wanted nothing more than to wipe it off. Cricket raised her leg and kicked him as hard as she could but soon realized that something was not right. Despite the fact that Cricket did not miss, his nose was not broken, his smirk was still intact if not wider than before, kicking him was like kicking a wall. She had a look of upmost horror and wonder. These… people are almost not human.

"Now stay still and we won't hurt you." The one she kicked said and as soon as he did the one behind her put a cloth over her mouth.

As soon as she realized it her eyes went wide and her struggling increased tenfold. The last thing she saw was the wide smirk of the shorter one before she was captured by the darkness that started out her day.

**-ooOoo-**

**Buonasera – good evening **

**Phew, long chapter. Please review. **


	3. Mad World

**Thank you so much to those who have favorited, alerted, and reviewed so far.**

**And a special thanks to Shastter, NicoleSalvatore1918, Camiphernelia, Guest, Author-fan, DarkFallenVampire, for reviewing. **

**Chapter 3: Mad World**

**-ooOoo-**

Let it be noted that on a day that would change her life forever her first instinct was to snuggle against the sheets and sleep for another hour. She buried her head into the pillow with a goofy smile on her face and tried to physically merge herself with the wonderful material around her.

Wait a minute. Her bed was **not** this comfortable, Cricket would know if not she would never leave it. She needed to open her eyes; there could be a psychopath waiting to kill her and while yes it would be nice to die this comfortable she needed to know who was responsible so she knew who to haunt later.

It was a struggle to do so, clearly her eyelids wanted to remain closed and she didn't blame them. However willpower eventually won out and Cricket forced her eyes to open little by little. There was a lot of eye crust and her vision was blurry meaning she has probably been asleep for a long time. She rubbed her palms against her eyes, blinked a few times and it was then did she start to get a picture of her surroundings.

The sheets Cricket was laying on were blood red, and she called it, they were silk; the way it shined in the dim lighting of the room and how it flowed through her fingers like water was proof of that. The bed was big, probably a king size. She turned on her back to get a better view of the room she was in, now fully curious, and found there was a canopy above the bed and that it was a four poster with some kind of dark wood she didn't know the name of.

Sitting up and letting the sheets pool at her lap, Cricket glanced at the room she's in. "Oh I am so not in Kansas anymore."

There's no one around to hear her and she realizes that her shoes are missing, whoever put her in here must have taken them off for her comfort or because they have a weird shoe fetish, but judging by her surroundings it was most likely the former. And speaking of which they are nothing like anything she has ever come by before, well aside from history books, old paintings, and palace museums.

The room is fully furnished and feels like she has stepped back in time, everything from the furniture to the paintings on the walls to the intricate throws on the floor were so beautiful and crafted with such detail and pride that it made it impossible for it to be created this century. No one puts this much effort into their work anymore.

She suddenly felt like she was too modern or that she couldn't be delicate enough to handle such wonderful antiques but still this kind of beautiful luxury is rare and who knows if she would ever get the chance to enjoy something like this again. Psycho or no she decided, whoever brought her here has excellent taste.

The main source of light came from electrical Victorian candelabras along the walls and she wondered if there was a stronger source of lighting around besides the lamp on the desk by the wardrobe. Despite that the room was a bit dark Cricket could see one large wooden door to her left and assumed that one led outside, two other doors one between the first one and the fireplace and the other to her far right were probably the closet and bathroom.

She crawled to the edge of the bed and realized then just how sore she felt and that her nose and throat burned a little, effects of how she was brought here most likely and that thought alone was enough to put a bit of fear back in her. She sat on the edge of the bed with feet dangling, eyes closed and leaned her face against the cool and unbelievably smooth hardwood post that had a nice twisted and coiled pattern to it, just long enough to gain her strength and place her feet on the ground.

When she finally did she found that the floor was marble but a darker shade than what she was used to seeing and that it was a little cool, probably what the throws and the lit fireplace were for and at least she still had her socks on too. Walking towards the door that was closer to the fireplace she opened it carefully and was glad to know that it was a bathroom. She switched the lights on and gasped. Like the rest of the room the bathroom was big but not ridiculously so.

There was marble everywhere, much lighter than that of the room's floor and plenty of space; the gold trim stood out and complimented the off white of the marble beautifully. She kneeled down and with the touch of a feather appreciated the details of the trim which looked like a pattern of vines and leaves; this extended everywhere from the floor, to the walls, to the tub.

And what a tub it was. It was on a circular platform, three steps to get to it, surrounded by stained glass with old murals that you would expect to see in a cathedral and not a bathroom. The tub itself was old fashioned and had a variety of what she guessed to be delicious soaps that under normal circumstances Cricket would be eager to try. There was a wonderful smell of jasmine in the air and she assumed that to be coming from the candles that were placed around several flat surfaces including the toilet. _'Even that looks nice'_ she mussed.

Finally deciding to do what she came here for she walked to the sink, which was elegantly crafted, and looked in the mirror that was not rectangular or squared like it commonly was, but oval shaped like a traditional vanity. She turned the knob, which if she didn't know any better solid gold. _'Jeez who are these people?'_ Splashing some cold water on her face and letting a little go down her throat to soothe the slight burn, she turns it off and finds a fluffy white towel that shares the same pattern as the marble to dry her face.

She notices that next to the sink are new toothbrushes and toothpaste, a brush and other things one might need. Despite finding this a little odd, one look at her ratty hair and she grabs the brush to tame it back to its original style. Once she gets out of the bathroom she sees her shoes and her backpack at the front of the bed and is oddly very relieved at that, maybe because it's something familiar.

Cricket sits on the floor to put on her sneakers and now that she is this close to the fireplace she notices that the marble is carved to make it look like waves are flowing through it. _'Amazing'_ she thinks. The black haired girl stands up and knows she should probably leave this room now but curiosity motivates her to look around a little more. She walks to the large wardrobe and inside she sees several dresses ranging from semi formal to formal. It also includes that little black dress that every girl should have that can be worn for just about any occasion, and it looks like if she were interested they might fit her.

She closes it quickly when a strange vibe comes over her and walks to the large desk not too far. It's strong and opening the drawers she finds paper, pens, envelopes, and more, all good to go. The more she takes in of this room the more she feels like it is ready for someone or belongs to a person already. On the opposite side of the room she opens the third door and finds it is indeed a closet, and a walk in one to boot. It was empty, she could tell even from the minimal light, and closed that too.

When she looked to the right she instantly regretted it, because what she saw shocked and scared her to the core, almost like seeing your name written in blood somewhere. To the right of the closet was pretty much a corner artist's workshop. There were brushes and paints and canvases and easels and anything else an artist could want. Cricket was scared.

The dresses and the bathroom were odd enough but this!...this made it look like she was a guest or permanent resident rather than a hostage. Great this was turning into a renaissance version of Stephen King's Misery. Grabbing her backpack she all but bolted to the door, when she reached it she opened it slowly. _'If I get the chance at least I can make a run for it with my stuff now.'_ She stuck her head out and looked both ways to a dimly lit corridor and wondered if she underground based off the lack of light. Not seeing anyone she completely stepped into the narrow passageway and gripped the strap of her backpack tightly for comfort.

"Hello?" She said not too loudly.

She would have tried to make a quite escape but looking at these corridors she had a feeling they were complicated and went on for a while and she didn't even know where the exit was. Besides if someone had wanted to hurt her they had plenty of time in which they could have already. But still she would not call any more attention to herself and hopefully she was enough of a Mission Impossible fan to channel enough stealth to get out of here.

She would never mention this to anyone but she used Eeny meeny miny moe to choose to take the corridor on the right. Hey she was lost okay! Cricket didn't take more than a few steps when she heard

"You need to come with us."

Cricket spun around so fast she was surprised she didn't get whiplash. There before her, about fifteen feet away were two fairly tall and attractive men. The tallest one was huge, football or hockey player huge with dark hair, and the other one was a few inches shorter with fairer hair, like dirty blonde and looked more lithe than his companion.

"Um…what?" She asked. These weren't even the people who brought her here and she was getting more confused by the minute.

"You must be introduced." The very muscular one spoke and it was rich as well but, did not match the voice of the first sentence they said so it must have been the blondish one who spoke then.

"Introduced?"

They angled their bodies in a way that said, 'Follow us' and did not answer her question. She waited a few seconds to see if they would but realizing the only way she would get any answers was to follow them, she took a few steps in their direction. As soon as she moved they did as well, completely expecting her to follow them and keep up. Although if they were she didn't know why they were moving so fast, several times she had to jog a little to keep pace.

They went through corridor after corridor and other passageways, each of them looking very similar, and when she could no longer contain her curiosity she asked

"Where am I?"

They didn't even turn to look at her or give any other indication that she was there except when the blondish one answered her

"Your questions will be answered shortly."

He had a great voice, like he would be perfect for a commercial, any commercial really. But what was strange was that they all had great voices, all the men from last night to now. Then again maybe it was their mysterious appeal that made it sound that way. When they reached two large double doors the burly one pushed them open and they stepped into a large ballroom with quite a few people in dark cloaks already inside waiting. _'Were they in a palace?'_ The room was not as dark as the passageways, and she was quick to see why. The ceiling that was at least twenty to thirty feet high was dome shaped and let in a certain amount of light.

She heard a cheerful noise and the sound of a lone eager clap and found the source to be a man with shoulder length black hair, blood red eyes, and a happy smile. When the trio reached the center of the room in front of the strange happy man, her two escorts left her and went to their place in the line up.

"How wonderful. The guest of honor, Cricket Gagliardi is finally here my friends." The exuberant man extended his arms and spoke to the other occupants, presenting Cricket to them.

He turned his full attention back to her and looked at her with such glee and if she was not mistaken a bit of greed too. As she glanced behind him she could see three thrones and one of them belonged to him; this wasn't a ballroom, it was a throne room. He knew her name, he knew she was an artist, what else did they know about her? She needed answers but decided to be polite as this man clearly held power, that much was obvious from the tension of the room anyway.

"Um, you seem to have me at a disadvantage, you are…"

"Oh, of course how rude of me, I am Aro." Aro looked to be genuinely embarrassed by his slip up of manners but the grin never faded.

Cricket decided to keep up polite pretenses, it looked like this was how the game was going to be played. Besides she was confused as hell, what else could she do but go along.

"Pleased to meet you."

Aro sighed in happiness and asked "So my dear, did you like your room?"

He extended his hand for hers and Cricket hesitated only a few seconds, sensing that it would not be a good idea to refuse him.

"My room?" She asked weakly.

"Yes, we wanted you to wake up comfortably."

He gestured to the entire room and by the way Aro was holding her hand so gently she would have believed him. If not for the fact that when she looked around the room their faces were so impassive that she doubted it would have mattered to them if she woke up in a ditch.

Still she thanked him "Oh, y-yes thank you."

She was suddenly very nervous having her hand in his and she wasn't hundred percent sure why. Aro smiled in response and then his eyes unfocused. The odd man was like that for a little while and in that time Cricket took the liberty of looking around. There were men and women, mostly men, the oldest maybe late thirties and the youngest about her age.

There was a boy in her age group with golden brown hair, lovely features, and his eyes…his eyes were as red as anyone else's in the room but what was different about his was that they were so calculating and critical. He looked like he was thinking a million things at once. When they made eye contact it was like a shock went through her system, his eyes were so intelligent, too intelligent for someone his age and they seemed to be sizing her up, but not in an arrogant way more of in a curious manner. His facial features were bored still you could not deny that he was drop dead gorgeous.

Actually, they were all unnaturally beautiful. _'Who were these people?'_ Were they part of a cult? Did they want her to join their religion or were they part of a group of obsessive unbelievably good-looking models that needed new members or participants.

"Um…do you want me to join your religion or – ''

She was cut off by a high-pitched laugh before she could say _'or volunteer to test out your undoubtedly extensive supply of beauty products since you probably can't do it on animals anymore.'_ The laugh came from Aro and she would be lying if she said it didn't creep her out a bit. What surprised her however were the chuckles she heard around the room.

"So amusing, and so…_affascinante_" Fascinating? But why? Aro looked like he knew the perfect place to put her in his collection.

"Ah, forgive me my dear you must be bursting with questions"

He gave her hand a light tap before he let it go and began walking to the foot of the steps that led to the thrones, leaving her in the center of the grand room.

"There is so much to discuss so we will cut to the chase so to speak" He turned around again and faced her, Cricket had the sudden urge to move like Aro did, anything to be away from all the eyes watching her so closely.

"We, are, the Volturi" Aro said, extending his arms almost as wide as his smile. "And we are Vampires." He clasped his hands together again and the look on his face reminded her of a teacher who was waiting for the information he just explained to sink in.

"Vampires?" She questioned, wanting to make sure she heard him right. _'Well that would explain a lot.'_

Aro just nodded to confirm her question, his previous expression still present. Before Cricket could stop herself she fearfully asked

"Wait, are all of you going to drink my blood!" She thought she heard a few snickers in the room again but she wasn't really sure.

Aro waved his hand like it was a ridiculous concern. "Of course not Cricket, you would not nearly be enough for us all."

Cricket slowly nodded her head incredulously "right, because that was my concern too" She murmured and from the distance she could see some of the occupants smirking including two women who were very close to the thrones and the mysterious boy she was…well, gawking at earlier. So, they were not twisted obsessive models, they were vampires. Wonderful, now she didn't know which one was worse.

Then a thought occurred to her "hold on," she whispered "vampires in Volterra…" and then it made sense "you're the reason why I've always had such bad vibes from the city" Cricket exclaimed, happy to have figured it out. "Huh, who would have thought?"

Aro eyed her appreciatively, but not lustfully. "Amazing, to sense danger from all the way in Florence."

Her short-lived happiness at figuring out a piece to the puzzle evaporated, and she remembered how terrified she really is. Cricket was usually pretty good at keeping calm on the outside, but inside her heart was beating erratically, and if they were the real McCoy she had no doubt that they could hear it too, which made her even more nervous. But despite that the big question was still unanswered, why was she here?

"So, um," she began shyly. " If I'm not going to be passed around like a peace pipe, does that mean I'm off the menu completely?"

In case they said 'no' she quickly tried to think of a reason why they shouldn't bleed her dry. She could always try to sell the 'I won't taste very good speech' and now she cursed herself for not joining the debate team.

"She has such wit, what a joy," Aro voiced delightfully as he let go of a few more snickers.

Yes wit, often when Cricket was scared or nervous or embarrassed it seemed to just flow out of her; sometimes it did diffuse some of the tension, it was a defense mechanism she supposed, just not a conscious one. The joyful vampire's demeanor became a bit somber but gazed at her with fondness.

"Yes Cricket, rest assured we will not harm you," he promised.

"Now, to explain why you are here" Aro climbed the steps to the center throne and sighed.

He sat down disheartened, like the story he was about to tell her was depressing. Cricket dropped her backpack on the floor to have the weight off and prepared to listen.

"You see Cricket, we are not the only ones of our kind. There are other vampires, other covens throughout the world." _'More vampires? Wow that's a pretty scary thought.'_ "A few months ago we had an unfortunate misunderstanding about a half human half vampire child, and because one of their own possessed a very powerful gift we were at a disadvantage."

Aro paused to let that sink in; his expression thoughtful but still that didn't explain why she was here. "We brought you here Cricket because we require your help."

"My help? What can I do?" She wondered if the confusion would ever end today, probably not; and really what could she do for a bunch of vampires, besides feed them.

"Oh, I am so glad that you asked my dear." And he seemed like he really meant that as he looked to be considering whether to hug her or not.

"Well, the Volturi is very important to the vampire world, we enforce the rules, we keep the peace, and we keep our secret safe. Now as you can imagine that is a very big responsibility and it takes a lot of power to be able to maintain our position, which is why we surround ourselves with the most gifted vampires we can find."

There was a glint in Aro's eyes; Cricket didn't recognize it right away, not used to seeing it, but you could probably find it in histories most famous dictators, tyrants, and leaders; it was the look of someone who loved power.

"However, there are times when a human shows potential; and when they become one of our kind, that potential magnifies into a gift." Slowly the pieces were coming together.

"So if I understand this correctly, you want me to help make the Volturi stronger by becoming a vampire because you think I would have a gift?" She really hoped she misunderstood something but when Aro smiled at her like that, her hope was crushed.

"Yes Cricket. Join us, immortality would suit you so well."

Immortality, was that something she wanted? Most people would go to the ends of the earth for it, Ponce de Leon did.

"Oh, um…"

"You must consider Cricket that the other covens rebelled and tried to overtake us when they were the ones threatening our secrecy and we were only concerned about the future of our people. Now fortunately when we saw that we were mistaken the Volturi were able to solve the matter peacefully but you understand of course why it can never be that close again."

Aro's eyes pleaded for her to understand. "Imagine the chaos if the rebels had succeed, we need your talents. You are special Cricket, join our family."

The word family stung, especially for someone who grew up in foster care since the age of five, but still, something didn't feel right. The least she could do was consider her options right? So she asked

"Um, what if I don't become a vampire?"

Aro's look reminded her of a kid whose toy broke on Christmas morning and for the first time someone else spoke, the blonde man on the throne to the right. "Then you would be a liability, and we would have to kill you."

And there it was, the problem. Her fear reached the highest level it has been so far. How could she forget her life was in danger, just because they have been nice so far, or because no one's teeth were in her neck yet? Cricket's heart felt like it was about to burst through her chest and she wondered if it was possible for it to explode, great now she was even more afraid.

"Now brother she was just asking a question." And she felt Aro's warning in that sentence. "There's no need to panic Cricket." He said it gently and even though it did nothing to calm her she tried to soothe her heart anyway, it was probably like a drum to them.

"Besides, there is still the matter of the child to discuss."

Cricket was grateful for the change of topic so she seized the opportunity and asked Aro "What child?"

The tension was gone, not that there was ever much present with Aro and he happily explained "Ah yes, you remember Cricket when I mentioned something about a half human half vampire child and how the misunderstanding centered around it?"

She nodded. "Well, in an effort to make sure we learn from our mistakes and we are never so embarrassingly misinformed again, I proposed that we add one to our ranks. What do you think?"

Cricket felt like Aro was a child who came to her about his latest "masterpiece" and not knowing what to say to that innocent face you just went along with it.

"Oh um, sure, I think it's a good idea."

"Wonderful!" Aro was so thrilled he stood up again. "We were hoping that before you joined us in this immortal life you would help us with the child matter."

The dark haired vampire was so eager that he climbed down the steps to her level again.

"Uh, the half human half vampire, matter, thing, how does that work exactly?" If this was going the way she thinks it is she would start hyperventilating soon, especially when he keeps talking about it as casually as one would with the weather.

"Why, the same way any child conception works of course." Aro smiled innocently.

She nodded her head slowly, waiting for the information to catch up with her. Was he serious? Of course he was. The fact that she was still standing must have been her divine intervention.

"It would be you, and we had in mind Alec." He gestured to the beautiful boy with the amazing intelligent eyes.

Cricket's eyes went wide and she paled instantly. This. Could. Not. Be. Happening.

Out of everything that had happened today this was her biggest shock. Nevermind being kidnapped, getting offered immortality, or discovering vampires are real. No, the fact that she has to get knocked up by one took the cake. If she had to go through with this then she would need some of whatever Aro was taking because no way is anyone that calm and happy in a situation like this. The one silver lining would be that at least she would have a cute kid.

"So, me" She weakly points to herself "and…"she points in the direction of Alec "you w-want u-us to" she couldn't even formulate that sentence completely but for a few brave seconds she glances at her apparently future baby daddy and sees that his expression hasn't changed.

He either knew before hand or this is not a big deal for him. She looks back at Aro, she can't do this, it's too much.

"This is a lot to take in, do I have to decide now."

"Not at all my dear, take all the time you need, I understand it is a lot to process." His gaze is understanding if not a little disappointed.

"If I join, I can't go back to my old life, can I?" Aro said nothing, but that was enough of an answer.

No matter what Cricket decided, she will not have the life she knows now for much longer. And that just made her want to crawl under the covers in her own less comfortable bed and never come out.

"I graduate in five months, can I make my final decision then?" She asked hopeful. Cricket wanted to at least finish school.

"Then it is settled, the day of your graduation. A perfect time to make life changing choices." Aro agreed.

She internally sighed in relief. "But…" _'Oh no, what now.'_ "I must insist that you make an informed decision. Come and spend some time here every now and then, see the good the Volturi does for our world, and yours."

"You mean like spend every other weekend here?" _'How bad could it be?'_

"Aha, yes precisely. A marvelous idea." Aro cried in glee and came directly up to her.

He was so pleased he made it seem like this was her idea. "Let us begin this weekend. But before you go Cricket allow me to introduce you to the coven."

She found out that the other two vampires on the thrones were Marcus and Caius. Two of the women who were close to the thrones were the wives of Aro and Caius, they were Sulpicia and Athenodora. As for the other women, one was Chelsea - who was generally in the background but obviously very important. Heidi was probably the most beautiful woman in the world and she looked like she knew it too. Renata was close to Aro at all times, like a bodyguard, and Corin was always close to the wives. If they moved a bit so did she, like they couldn't be apart.

The two who escorted her to this room were Felix and Demetri and one who appeared as muscular as Felix was Santiago. Other than that the only other male not mentioned before stood right next to Chelsea and his name was Afton. A girl who looked to be about her age and stood next to Alec was named Jane. They seemed quite close. She looked at Cricket with such contempt it was almost frightening.

They went like this in an arc, introducing each of the permanent guard members. There were about ten of them. When she passed by Alec her heart beat sped up momentarily and she blushed. She rarely blushed but let's face it this was not your everyday girl meets boy situation.

The Volturi reminded Cricket of a chess game. There were the kings, the queens, the bishops, the knights, the rooks, and so on which were the permanent guard and leaders, and then there were the pawns, or the seventeen other members who were also disposable. They were not even introduced. And like chess, the ones close to the king and queen were the ones with the power. Cricket just wondered what they could do, or what 'gifts' they had, Aro didn't explain that much. She didn't see the ones who originally kidnapped her but she figured they were with the pawns.

"Felix, Demetri" Aro called and they came immediately "take Cricket home, and be sure to take good care of her." He grabbed her hand one last time before Demetri and Felix reached the exit and slowly let go until their fingers could no longer touch.

Cricket suddenly stopped, one final question bothered her. "Um, wait, I have one more question." She faced Aro again who looked attentive while Felix and Demetri paused to wait for her.

"Anything." Aro whispered.

The ebony haired girl almost felt a chill at his voice and she decided then and there she never wanted to make him angry, something told her it would be terrible.

"How did you know I was different?" Everything else they knew about her was easy to learn but not that.

The buoyant leader smiled charmingly "I always keep my ear low to the ground for such knowledge, and word travels fast with a talent like yours."

Her mind told her that something about the last part had another meaning or something she should remember but it was coming up blank now. Hopefully it would click later.

"Thank you." She whispered, for answering her question anyway. The young artist had a lot to think about in the upcoming months but right now she just wanted to go home so she followed her two escorts again.

"Goodbye Cricket, I will count the minutes until we see each other again." His greeting was so enthusiastic that Cricket couldn't help but wave back even if it was a little awkwardly.

She walked with Felix and Demetri through the large double doors and her suspicions were proven correct they were below ground. She saw that Felix had her backpack and good thing too because she almost forgot it. The trio passed a reception area with a woman at the desk that looked oddly, human.

Cricket didn't want to ask these two any questions so she trailed them to an elevator that led them to a large parking lot with many cars, most of them looked built for speed. It only just occurred to her that she didn't tell any of them where she lived, but judging how much they knew about her she guessed that they have been watching her for a while, either way it's the last of her worries.

They reached a black sports car with tinted windows so dark it matched the rest of the exterior. Felix passed her backpack to her, to which she mumbled thanks, before sliding in the passenger's seat and she in the back. Demetri drove out of here at high speeds but still as smooth as can be. At least one good thing came out of this today and that was that she finally got to see Volterra. And under the moonlight and the stars, the ancient city was breathtaking. After everything that happened today, all the new information, and the emotional rollercoaster she has been on, her mind begged for sleep. And she gave in, figuring it deserved that much.

**-ooOoo-**

"Good bye Cricket, I will count the minutes until we see each other again." He watched the girl leave and sighed.

That didn't go entirely as he had planned. He turned back to the remaining occupants with a wide smile. "Thank you friends for joining us here today, as you were."

The dark haired vampire watched them disperse with a short bow leaving only his brothers and the traditional few guards by the entrances. He let his smile drop; now he could think, and sat himself upon his throne.

"The girl has doubts, we should use Chelsea to influence her." Caius said.

'_Always one for action'_ Aro mused. "Yes, I am aware" he sighed.

"But you heard her heartbeat clearly she has an infatuation for him, is that not correct Marcus?" He turned his attention to the brother in question.

"There was certainly a spark there, however faint. On Alec's part, only minimal interest."

Aro frowned. "Mmm, we will have to work on that." He mentioned, seemingly thinking out loud.

"Why are wasting time playing matchmaker, we should – ''

"Patience brother, delicate matters such as these requires it and takes cultivation." Aro chastised Caius like he has gone through this endlessly.

"We have her in our midst, that is the important thing. If she needs a push, then we will provide it when the times comes" he explained.

"But **why **are we waiting, she is human, insignificant!" Caius was not pleased; he was not one for patience either.

"Really brother do you not see the bigger picture" Aro implored. "Besides we have something that she craves above all else."

"And what is that Aro?" Marcus asked, his interest captured, a true feat in itself. It could not be Alec, it was too soon for that and immortality did not seem to interest her very much.

"She craves family. And we can provide her with that." Aro whispered.

"So we take care of a vermin orphan as she were our own, cuddle and nurture her." Caius proclaimed mockingly.

"Of course not brother" Aro uttered exasperatedly. "But do you not see that Alec will be the key to her stay. Alec and their child we give her every incentive to stay on her own."

"But why do we need her to stay on her when that is what we use Chelsea for."

"Normally yes," Aro agreed. "But in cases in which their membership can happen naturally that is usually the best approach. And do not forget that a child needs to be conceived in this operation. We need to take caution with Alec and Cricket."

"And that requires what _romance_" Caius spit the word out like it was filth. "Alec is more than capable of handling this situation now if necessary."

"You mean having him force himself on her." Aro asked tiredly. "That might damage her in more ways than one Caius and she has too much potential for that. By forcing her you waste not only the girl but perhaps the child as well. It is too much to lose."

Caius much calmly now asks "And so what? We fan the flames? We play cupid?" the barest hint of sarcasm is still detectable but it is ignored.

"There is hope for more Caius. That much I am aware of." Marcus rasps, never a tone higher or lower than normal.

"As I have declared Brothers," Aro begins to explain, "If she needs to be influenced than so be it."

Aro adopted a far away look and said softly "For now, we let nature take its course."

**-ooOoo-**

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